My brother sent this to everyone he knows who has ever lived in Surrey.
The story is typical local rag cr@p, but there are some great comments.
Pirbright residents, or MoD wallahs living in Kingston - indeed any arrser - maybe you want to add something? (and copy it on here?)

Marksman called in to kill Kingstonâs pigeons
Kingston's pigeons are due to be culled

A specialist marksman will carry out a "humane cull" of pigeons in the Memorial Gardens, Kingston's Town Centre Management announced this week.

The cull will be done by a private pest control contractor from Cobham as part of a three-year programme to reduce Kingston's pigeon population.

Graham McNally, town centre manager, said it had considered other ways of culling before deciding on shooting. He said: "At this moment in time, a specialist marksman will be used to shoot the pigeons. I can definitely say there will be no gassing and no poisoning. The cull will be carried out discreetly."

Posted by: Norman Ski on 10:13pm Wed 29 Nov 06
This is preposterous! Pigeons performed a vital role in assisting communications in both World Wars and should therefore be encouraged to breed in higher numbers in order to remind us that we must never forget. Perhaps the money would be better spent erecting a large memorial of a Rock Pigeon or perhaps a Feral Pigeon - I'll leave that decision to the council. I don't think a Wood Pigeon memorial would be particularly appropriate because I don't think they did too much for us during the war. Other than food.

Posted by: Norman Farnsbarns McArthey on 11:56pm Wed 29 Nov 06
I say train the blighters to do an honest days work and to earn their right to live in Her Royal Majesties Royal borough. Maybe they could be trained to assist the police as they could spot crime while on high and report back to the station swiftly. The more aggressive ones could become a sort of elite police flighting unit that could intervene in violent incidents that are sadly becoming all to common in our wonderful town.

Posted by: Mrs D. Smithers on 12:05am Thu 30 Nov 06
I was once saved from certain death when a pair of woods grasped me by the shoulders and flew me from the path of an oncoming car. Now these feathered heroes follow me everywhere and they often speak to me too. I will be going out tomorrow tooled up to protect this noble race of animals and if I find the marksman then it will be me or him. I say NO to the slaughter of the innocents and am willing to lay down my life in their defence. As for them being the spawn of Satan, well, that is obviously a comment from a very deluded person, get help is all I can say to that, everyone knows they are God's messengers.

But for those that did, I'm not surprised they're disgusted, I mean what kind of world do we live in? I say goad the good pigeons over one of the less salubrious areas of Kingston and then tell a Company of Americans they can shoot anything that moves ....

(only joking my American brothers, I just remember my father saying from WWII that: 'when the Germans bomb, the British duck; when the Germans bomb the British duck and when the Americans bomb everyone ducks!').

But for those that did, I'm not surprised they're disgusted, I mean what kind of world do we live in? I say goad the good pigeons over one of the less salubrious areas of Kingston and then tell a Company of Americans they can shoot anything that moves ....

(only joking my American brothers, I just remember my father saying from WWII that: 'when the Germans bomb, the British duck; when the Germans bomb the British duck and when the Americans bomb everyone ducks!').

My brother sent this to everyone he knows who has ever lived in Surrey.
The story is typical local rag cr@p, but there are some great comments.
Pirbright residents, or MoD wallahs living in Kingston - indeed any arrser - maybe you want to add something? (and copy it on here?)

Marksman called in to kill Kingstonâs pigeons
Kingston's pigeons are due to be culled

A specialist marksman will carry out a "humane cull" of pigeons in the Memorial Gardens, Kingston's Town Centre Management announced this week.

The cull will be done by a private pest control contractor from Cobham as part of a three-year programme to reduce Kingston's pigeon population.

Graham McNally, town centre manager, said it had considered other ways of culling before deciding on shooting. He said: "At this moment in time, a specialist marksman will be used to shoot the pigeons. I can definitely say there will be no gassing and no poisoning. The cull will be carried out discreetly."

Posted by: Norman Ski on 10:13pm Wed 29 Nov 06
This is preposterous! Pigeons performed a vital role in assisting communications in both World Wars and should therefore be encouraged to breed in higher numbers in order to remind us that we must never forget. Perhaps the money would be better spent erecting a large memorial of a Rock Pigeon or perhaps a Feral Pigeon - I'll leave that decision to the council. I don't think a Wood Pigeon memorial would be particularly appropriate because I don't think they did too much for us during the war. Other than food.

Posted by: Norman Farnsbarns McArthey on 11:56pm Wed 29 Nov 06
I say train the blighters to do an honest days work and to earn their right to live in Her Royal Majesties Royal borough. Maybe they could be trained to assist the police as they could spot crime while on high and report back to the station swiftly. The more aggressive ones could become a sort of elite police flighting unit that could intervene in violent incidents that are sadly becoming all to common in our wonderful town.

Posted by: Mrs D. Smithers on 12:05am Thu 30 Nov 06
I was once saved from certain death when a pair of woods grasped me by the shoulders and flew me from the path of an oncoming car. Now these feathered heroes follow me everywhere and they often speak to me too. I will be going out tomorrow tooled up to protect this noble race of animals and if I find the marksman then it will be me or him. I say NO to the slaughter of the innocents and am willing to lay down my life in their defence. As for them being the spawn of Satan, well, that is obviously a comment from a very deluded person, get help is all I can say to that, everyone knows they are God's messengers.

Haaahhahahahaa those comments are priceless, and knowing Surbiton and Kingston as I do , I can just see certain residents in Portsmouth Road and Thames Ditton making those comments very seriously indeed

Anyway, disgusting vermin, don't they realise we have had 7 Saxon Kings crowned in King's Stone?